Yesterday, after my friend Matt tweeted about Fake Shower, I downloaded it (the app is free) expecting to stumble upon a silly joke. To use Apple’s parlance, I thought it was another fart app, disguised as a clean-looking utility to actually achieve the opposite goal.

Then I decided to look for more information.

What started as an inane joke on Twitter quickly became — somehow — a source of interest for Federico. And, in a fascinatingly unexpected turn of events, it appears his curiosity was actually rather well-justified.

As it happens, the app — designed to mask the embarrassing sounds of a bathroom stall — is actually derived from a good cause: conserving water. Moreover, the app is startlingly well-designed and considered.